Turkey on a Weber

We've a large Weber Gold One Touch. It has the grate with the flip up access to the coal bins.

We've never used this to cook a turkey. We usually fry one.

I'm thinking it's going to take more than one fill of the bins. I plan to light it up before I leave for work and my wife will add coals as needed; checking every hour.

We use a can style starter. No fluid.

What else?

Digital probe thermometer....maybe 2.

I do at least one 20lbers every year, fire on one side. Make a shield of aluminum foil to protect the hot side. Don't forget to brine!

I've got some thermometers.

Never brined a bird. Hmmmm.

Why only fire or coals on one side?

These EACs say brining is overrated...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/the-food-lab-the-truth-about-brining-turkey-thanksgiving.html

Also, most store bought birds are usually already sorta brined with that salt solution they put in them...

Coals to one side because otherwise the heat burns to bottom of the bird while the rest is raw.

I brine to get other flavors, herbs, etc. It makes a difference.

A 20 lb bird takes up a lot of territory and you want indirect heat, low and slow, I toss a bit of hardwood in too.
I would never go back to doing turkey without brining, moist and flavorful.

AZ_IPA said:

These EACs say brining is overrated...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/the-food-lab-the-truth-about-brining-turkey-thanksgiving.html

Also, most store bought birds are usually already sorta brined with that salt solution they put in them...

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Good points, didn't read the entire article, you can't do it to a Butterball or other treated bird.
I did bird a couple of years ago and due to time constraints I did a salt based rub and spatchcocked it, came out amazing. But i did get a lot of no smoked turkey?

But can i put coals on either side in the bins? I wasn't gonna park it right in a bed red hot embers.

My old man does a turkey on the weber every year. You might be starting a little early -- IIRC, once the coals are ready, the bird's only in for about three hours before the thermometer says it's done. Although, we do use mesquite "char wood," which burns a little hotter than briquettes.

You will need to top off the coals, but just once or twice should cut it.

Given you mentioned "coal bins," I'm guessing you have those little sheetmetal buckets just about the same size as the flippy-up bits on the main grill? Indirect heat is key, but if you don't have 'em, you can make some out of aluminum foil. Put a square disposable aluminum cake tin between them -- it'll keep the coals wrangled, and catch the drippings... nom nom nom.

You're in for a tasty bird, my friend.

I do a turkey on a Weber kettle every year. 20# is the maximum.

Brine for 24 hours. It will pull a lot of water into the turkey and result in the juiciest turkey you've ever had.

feinbera said:

My old man does a turkey on the weber every year. You might be starting a little early -- IIRC, once the coals are ready, the bird's only in for about three hours before the thermometer says it's done. Although, we do use mesquite "char wood," which burns a little hotter than briquettes.

You will need to top off the coals, but just once or twice should cut it.

Given you mentioned "coal bins," I'm guessing you have those little sheetmetal buckets just about the same size as the flippy-up bits on the main grill? Indirect heat is key, but if you don't have 'em, you can make some out of aluminum foil. Put a square disposable aluminum cake tin between them -- it'll keep the coals wrangled, and catch the drippings... nom nom nom.

You're in for a tasty bird, my friend.

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This is how my old man cooks 'em also. Except, he doesn't use a thermometer and waaaaaaaaaay over cooks 'em.

Indirect over charcoal gives such a great crispy skin.

Zuljin said:

But can i put coals on either side in the bins? I wasn't gonna park it right in a bed red hot embers.

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I use one coal basket on one side. You can see in the pic above, the grate is open and I can add additional coals if I need them.

I brine and would never do it any other way. The results are too good. That article cites the hassle of brining as one of 2 reasons not to do it. The other reason (that it just makes the turkey juices more watery) I'm not buying, or why does marinade work? There's more in a brine then water. The salts/spices infiltrate the meat as well.

I think that author just thinks brining is too much work. But a bucket in a fridge with a lid on it is actually less hassle then a bird in a pan in the fridge since you can stack things on top of the bucket if you need to. That said, most here have some extra fridge space for something as special as the Thanksgiving bird don't they? The bucket is a non issue. If anyone ever tried to brine a bird in garbage bags, I can see how they'd advocate never doing it again.

Anyway, I'm a creature of habit too. But hearing things like "that's the best turkey I've ever tasted" motivate me to reproduce the results.

Yes, I've the sheet metal bins. Love em.

I didn't think it'd cook that fast. We use mesquite and oak lump charcoal. It's good stuff.

Crispy skin! I want that! Love the skin.

Sounds like we'll be brining. We've lots of good spice mixes to play with. Mmmm. Spicy, crispy skin. There will be pictures.

I have done several on a Weber Performer and always use indirect with coals in the baskets on each side.I cooked them at 300 to 350 depending on the size and the skin is crispy. How big of a bird do you plan on cooking?

AZ_IPA said:

This is how my old man cooks 'em also. Except, he doesn't use a thermometer and waaaaaaaaaay over cooks 'em.

Indirect over charcoal gives such a great crispy skin.

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Yeah, if the little pop up thing pops up, you are already screwed. I guess the skin can still be good.

Digital thermometers don't want to be in a grill if temps are over 395F.

I put one in the bird (probe thermometer) and one through a hole in the lid of the grill.

I like to know what temp the bird is, but also what temp the grill is.

I do this every year. I ususally do small (12#) birds and they are done in less than 2 hours. (Indirect baskets, both sides for the small birds)
I have brined, but a olive oil rub with lots of rosmary works well too!
Don't overcook it! It works fast

AZ_IPA said:

These EACs say brining is overrated...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/the-food-lab-the-truth-about-brining-turkey-thanksgiving.html

Also, most store bought birds are usually already sorta brined with that salt solution they put in them...

Click to expand...

i was always of this opinion until i tried it two years ago. it was a huge difference, and I've brined them ever since. Considering almost everyone here has a modified chest freezer, putting these fresh birds in a food grade bucket (that again we all have) and putting in the chest freezer is no problem. I usually let them ride for 48-36 hrs.

For thanksgiving I'll be doing 4 birds, around the 15lb mark. 3 will be rubbed down with herbed butter, one will be injected with a bbq/bourbon sauce mixture.

BRINE

RUB

DIGITAL THERMOMETER

LOW HEAT

hmmmmmmmm.......getting hungry!

cheezydemon3 said:

BRINE

RUB

DIGITAL THERMOMETER

LOW HEAT

hmmmmmmmm.......getting hungry!

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Me too, everyone posting must put up pictures!!!!!!!

ChefRex said:

Me too, everyone posting must put up pictures!!!!!!!

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You know I'm good for the pics. I take a shot of everything. The unexamined life is not worth living!

12-15 pound. Man, this gone be so good. I want a crusted with seasoning skin. Can I buy just turkey skin> Turkey craklin!

Zuljin said:

12-15 pound. Man, this gone be so good. I want a crusted with seasoning skin. Can I buy just turkey skin> Turkey craklin!

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That would be funny! You watch as a guy carefully skins the turkey and then throws the bird in the trash!

Methinks I should cook, scratch that, smoke up a smaller test turkey this weekend. I think I may have been volun-told to smoke one up for this year because everyone has loved my other smoke sessions. I will bake one as well because I love turkey, but just want to make sure.

My wife and I have hosted T-day the past 3 years. This year her brother and his family are coming. They asked if it was ok if they bring their own bird, because they don't want it smoked. While I would like to smoke the bird, the past year I did not use any smoking wood. Just used charcoal, so the smoker acted as a charcoal fed oven. At least the birds tasted normal, which is what everyone wanted. Also left our oven free to cook all the other sides.

I have a Weber Performer and an 18in. Smokey Mountain. I don't want a smoked turkey because my family prefers the traditional taste but I want to free up my oven. Would you guys use the WSM without wood, or would you use the Performer?

dfess1 said:

My wife and I have hosted T-day the past 3 years. This year her brother and his family are coming. They asked if it was ok if they bring their own bird, because they don't want it smoked. While I would like to smoke the bird, the past year I did not use any smoking wood. Just used charcoal, so the smoker acted as a charcoal fed oven. At least the birds tasted normal, which is what everyone wanted. Also left our oven free to cook all the other sides.

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Did your wife disclose you were marrying into such a horrible family? Your in-laws sound terrible!

Zuljin said:

Can I buy just turkey skin> Turkey craklin!

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The wife of one guy I work with takes the skins off their raw chicken (for various dishes) and freezes the skin. They save it to later make, essentially, chicken chicharrón every so often. The days he brings it in to share is absolutely friggin awesome.

CadiBrewer said:

I have a Weber Performer and an 18in. Smokey Mountain. I don't want a smoked turkey because my family prefers the traditional taste but I want to free up my oven. Would you guys use the WSM without wood, or would you use the Performer?

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I would probably use the smokey mountain the just charcoal,that way if there is something you want to throw on the grill as an appetizer it is free to use.

With a smaller charcoal grill (no offense!!!) I would cook the bird in a foil pan on top of some onions, carrots, celery tops and a little liquid. Our grill is so hot (and we have a large grill) that we run the risk of burning the bird without a 'fire shield'. For the fire shield we use two layers of HD foil covering the fire side of the bird. I leave the other side open to pick up the heat and smoke. Does that make sense? It makes sense in my mind... Anyway... by the time the fire dies down and dwindles we've got the foil off and a nice crispy bird.

I do one every year. Instead of brine, I inject it the same as you would to fry and use chips over indirect heat. I do the temp at about 350° and cook it the same as I would in the oven.

24 pounder

ChefRex said:

24 pounder

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Cool

14 pounder for us. I brined it instead of injecting it this year. We'll see how it turns out.

I've got a 20# turkey (19.76 pounds, true story) on the weber. I've brined it in years past, but this turkey was already injected with a salt solution, so I chose to just do a kosher salt rub under the skin. I'll post pics when it starts to look delicious

I always used to use my Weber to cook the Thanksgiving turkey until I lived in Texas for a few years. That's where deep-fried turkey became our Thanksgiving tradition. But I'm thinking about going back to the Weber for a variety of reasons. And I "brined" a turkey once...never again. Sure, it was moist and tender...but it was soooooo salty! I think if I "Weber" a turkey, I will inject it just like I do when I deep-fry it. Those injectable spices do add a lot to the flavor. And always, ALWAYS, A-L-W-A-Y-S indirect with the charcoal!

glenn514

Overshot my temp a bit, hopefully the brine works it's magic!

Poor shot from the side (should have taken a shot from above like CGVT), but it came out just right. I'm always surprised that these grilled turkeys are so moist. This smoked turkey will probably used mostly for sandwiches and soup... the bigger turkey is still in the oven.

Our turkey came with no brine or injection.

We did a dry rub and put an orange and an onion inside the bird. My wife came up with all that.

My wife actually did most of it. I set up the coals and she kept it going while I was at work. It took about 5 1/2 hours for a 17 pound turkey.

She started with the foil like you see, open on the top. Toward the end, she had taken the foil away completely.

Delicious! So moist and flavorful.